Ricardo Rosselló on Thursday welcomed the cast and crew of "Imprisoned" and said his government is committed to the film industry as one of the main engines for the island's economic development.

Puerto Rico governor announces $11.4 million...

By Andrea Rodés/EFE

June 09, 2017

Puerto Rico's governor on Thursday welcomed the cast and crew of "Imprisoned" to the economically beleaguered United States commonwealth and said the film project, currently in pre-production, would create hundreds of jobs for the local economy.

"Our administration is committed to the film industry as one of the main engines for Puerto Rico's economic development, and this film (will lead to) the creation of 739 direct jobs and 2,032 indirect jobs," Ricardo Rossello said in a statement.

Rossello also welcomed the film's lead actor, Laurence Fishburne, as well as other cast members including Juan Pablo Raba and Edward James Olmos.

The film was scheduled to begin production in mid-May in Puerto Rico. 13 Films is handling worldwide sales presented the title to buyers last month during the Marché du Film at the Cannes Film Festival, as reported in Variety.

“I had never worked in Puerto Rico. I didn’t know what to expect. I am happy to say that our work team is one of the most professional with whom I have had the opportunity to work,” said Fishburne, as reported in Caribbean Business.

“Latinos are more than 20% of the population of the United States … [but] we represent less than 4% of the images that are seen on television and theaters in the United States … The more films that can be brought, the more Puerto Rico grows,” added Olmos.

The secretary of Puerto Rico's Treasury Department, Raul Maldonado, said for his part that the government was an ally of the film industry.

"We understand the importance of tax incentives for the development of the film industry and the positive return for our economy. 'Imprisoned' has a budget of $11.4 million that is directly entering the island at a crucial time for Puerto Rico," Maldonado said.

Likewise, Economic Development and Commerce Secretary Manuel Laboy Rivera said he was pleased about this investment in the Caribbean island, which has been in recession for more than a decade and has entered into a type of bankruptcy process to restructure its massive debt load.